Steering damper - any experience and where to buy ?

[RBryant]

Hi all, just back from a successful trip to Le Mans Classic.  The car was much admired and mostly performed very well.

But the steering developed a serious wobble at certain speeds.  Not wheel balancing, just had that done and this feels much different.  I suspected the steering damper, and have now removed it for inspection, see pics.  It is loose - more precisely, it moves inconsistently rather than smoothly as a shock absorber should, and will jiggle significantly with little or no resistance for an inch or two.

It has stamped on it STABILUS TS26X230 / 4-3 and then below that lot 8  62
No idea what that lot means

Ricambio and Omicron haven't got one listed, and ones I can find (abroad) do not look the same. 

I see Land Rover parts listed which do look similar but I have no idea of the "strength" the damper should be.  The mounting pins are 53.5cm max and 37cm min distance apart.

Any input greatly appreciated, thanks.

[lancianut666]

Please keep us posted on this.
Clarkey
ps have you tried here?
https://www.oldlanciaspares.com/851-lancia-FLAMINIA-sparepart-stabilizer-steering.php

[DavidG]

I have bought one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166970658773

I believe Dave Gee posted about this alternative.

I think it is the same as Cavalitto have.  Not fitted it or tried it yet.

[RBryant]

Bought this from Omicron, looks just like the Ebay one bought by DavidG, but at several times the price.  Ho hum.   

Fitting is not too difficult.  There are castellated bolts with a split pin at each end.  Getting the split pin out was the most difficult part.  Plus the old item left the steel collar behind at one end, and was initially pretty stuck: I had to wiggle it out with mole grips and a crowbar.

I jacked the front end up to test smoothness, and all was good.  The bolts do not have to be super-tight as long as you can get a new split pin in to secure it, and the tightness makes no difference to the steering feel.  A short drive later, problem solved.